Effects of river fragmentation on plant dispersal and riparian flora

We evaluated the effects of river fragmentation by dams on hydrochory (i.e. plant dispersal by water) and on plant distribution by comparing two adjacent rivers in northern Sweden, one free-flowing and the other regulated. We collected stranded drift material from both rivers in order to quantify the drift material and its species content. We also estimated the floristic continuity along the two rivers by comparing the drift flora with the riparian flora further upstream. The drift amount deposited on the riverbank, its species richness and its contribution to the species pool were higher in the free-flowing than in the regulated river. The floristic continuity was also higher in the free-flowing than in the regulated river.